How to repair cracked engine covers.
First you remove the cover from the bike ofcourse, and then you degrease it very thoroughly.
As with all cracks in every material you need to drill small holes at the end of the cracks. Do not drill exactly at the point where the visible crack stops because underneath the surface the crack already had gone further. So plot an imaginative line in the extent of the crack and drill the hole along that line a few millimeters from the end of the visible crack.
I used a Dremel tool, but you can use a normal drill with a grinding stone (though due to it’s weight it’s harder to control) to dig a trench along the crack.
Dig as deep until you’re almost coming trough on the other side. This will make it very easy to fill it with epoxy.
Clean the other (in)side using emery paper or a Dremel tool to make sure the epoxy will attach itself well.
Then you clean and degrease the cover very thoroughly and warm it up by laying it on a heat source like a radiator or geyser.
While the case is heating up we prepare the metal epoxy. I use “Bison” metal epoxy but I guess any well known brand metal epoxy will do just fine. Just follow the instructions that came with it carefully and be sure to mix it very thoroughly. As with all two-component substances mixing it thoroughly is most important, so don’t rush it!
When the epoxy is ready apply it to the cover. Make sure you push the cracks full of epoxy so no air bubbles are left in them. If you dug them out deep enough epoxy will come out on the others side.
Your cover will have a very large flat spot so be sure to apply enough material, better too much than too little.
Apply some epoxy to the inside too but it hasn’t have to be much, just enough to make it smooth.
Then you leave it to dry on a heat source, at least for 12h untill the epoxy has become very hard. It hasn’t got the same mechanical properties as aluminium though, more like a hard plastic.
Now you can file/sand it into shape and spray paint the cover (you didn’t intend to polish it, now would ya? 😉
Well, there you are… a good as new engine cover, ready to last untill the next crash!
1. Drill holes at the end of the cracks and dig the cracks out
2. Clean the inside of the cracks
3. Warm up the cover
4. Prepare the epoxy
5. Apply epoxy liberally
6. Epoxy on the inside
7. Let it dry for at least 12 hours.
